In 1930, Albert Steiger, a prominent Westfield businessman, presented Chauncey Allen Park to the City of Westfield. The park was named after his father-in-law, Chauncey Allen, from whom he had inherited the ten-acre property.

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By 1934, the City, led by community volunteers, had created Grandmothers' Garden in the northwest corner of Chauncey Allen Park. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, Grandmothers' Garden established a living memorial to Albert's mother, affectionately known as Grandmother Steiger, who loved flowers and who shared the gifts of a gardener's labor with her friends, her family and her community.

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​In 1935, volunteers from the WPA helped complete construction using the plans of landscape architect Thomas Desmond of Connecticut and Elizabeth Bush Fowler, chair of the City of Westfield Parks Department. The residents of Westfield and surrounding towns donated all the materials needed to construct the Garden. Fowler's deep interest in colonial history and gardening helped guide the project to completion. The award-winning garden was widely featured in regional and national publications including Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. The Garden featured a central Summer House, geometric flower beds and plantings, numerous walkways, a wishing well, sundial and Herb Garden. Elizabeth Bush Fowler lovingly supervised the maintenance of the Garden until her death in 1954.

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In 1994, Friends of Grandmothers' Garden, Inc. (FOGG),  a non-profit corporation, was formed to restore and rehabilitate the Garden based on historical documents and Thomas Desmond's design.

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In 1995, the City of Westfield granted Friends of Grandmothers’ Garden, Inc. a 75-year lease on the 10-acre parcel of land comprising Grandmothers’ Garden and Chauncey Allen Park. Friends of Grandmothers’ Garden, Inc. is responsible for the maintenance and preservation of this historic space.